So Jealous

I’ve been trying to fill in some gaps in my back catalog, and this was a real priority. I’ve had Tegan and Sara pop up on mixes given to me fairly frequently, and I liked their most recent effort, Sainthood, enough to honorable-mention it in my 2009 write-up. Give those two facts, I set out to give 2004’s So Jealous a try.

A quick glance at the track list confirmed that most of my encounters with the band were lifted from this very record, which is always nice. It’s easier to spend time listening to new and unfamiliar songs when there are known favorites peppered in there to keep you invested. Even though it’s not new to me on listening to the album, I’ve got to go ahead and share ‘Take Me Anywhere‘.

Take Me Anywhere - Tegan & Sara

I’m a little sheepish in admiting it, but I can’t get enough of the raw sentimentality of this song. And that’s sortof the name of the game with Tegan and Sara. You get songs about love and heartbreak with zero filter. Disclaimer: it’s not for the callous and unfeeling.

So Jealous was also the vehicle for what I’m sure was many people’s introduction to the band, ‘Walking With A Ghost’. I forgot how much I liked this song! My favorite tune that I hadn’t heard yet off of this record was ‘I Know I Know I Know‘. It’s a little depressing, but musically it has a lot to offer:

I Know I Know I Know - Tegan & Sara

Other great songs include ‘Where Did the Good Go’ and ‘Speak Slow’. The record is a few tracks too long for my taste, but the material is so solid that it’s hard to really lodge any legitimate complaint. So Jealous is a solid effort by some talented musicians, with a few stand-out tracks that really demand you stop and take notice.

The Quin sisters were up for the Canadian Polaris Prize recently for the aforementioned Sainthood. They even performed live with fellow nominee Owen Pallett, another recent favorite of mine, which was pretty cool.